Well, I guess my story is different to most.
I had some mental problems when I was around 40, and I needed something to care for, to keep me going, a reason to get up in the morning and not throw in the towel. I wasn't ready for a pet. Rabbits were a food source throughout my childhood, it was the meat on the sunday table at my grandparents. Even my parents raised rabbits for a short time. Back then, I wasn't bringing much money home, to say the least.
So, well, why not. First I "harvested" (poached) two wild rabbits from my back yard to see if I can cope with processing them, my neighbour helped me with the cooking.
Next, I went to a farmers market and bought a doe and buck, but they were too young to start breeding that year so I bought a pregnant checkered giant doe. Mid summer, when I was away in the US, they started to get sick. I came home to 15 rabbits in pretty bad shape, most of them, once I realised it was Myxo I tried to quarentine all still healthy from everything else, had to euthanise the others, although some were big enough to make a meal I burried most of them.
I had a rabbit quarentined in every room of my apartment, since I was sure that the virus came from the wild rabbit population outside. In the end, sole survivor was the very first rabbit I got, my Fury who lived in my kitchen. She tought me what rabbits are capable of.
Cats, dogs - she put everyone in its place. No fear of anything. I was used to keep them in the traditional tiny hutches, but she didn't take that. I let her roam free because I felt that was what she needed, with no experience, She pretty much wrecked my apartment, peed in places I didn't find until I moved out, turned all plinth into flakes, wood and PVC alike, and started a tunnel straight into a wall, after 2" the bricks stopped her. Almost succeeded in killing me twice by removing insulation from live wires. Kept her inside for 8 months, through winter. In spring I got another "doe", seperated the kitchen but "she" jumped the fence and I was delighted at how well those two got along - and Fury had her first litter in my kitchen.
Fury is now over 10 years old now and a very happy outdoor bunny, with her daughter Red(8) as cuddlebun. Still digging like no other, and even though she's my smallest rabbit at about 7lbs she's the boss of everything. Quite a character. I managed to retire her from breeding (tried earlier, but she didn't agree) at age 7, and I take extra, extra care that she doesn't get anywhere near a buck now since I'm pretty sure she wouldn't survive a pregnancy or spay now. Had an emergancy spay done on Red last year after a kit got stuck after an accidential pregnancy.
Now my two breeding does are Chantal and Ruth, 3 and 4yo, descendants of another doe I bought, Magda. I still raise rabbits for meat, but I'm ok with the way I do it. I treat them as what they are, they don't need to be kept captive in small hutches, they don't run away, they are social animals, they learn to deal with humans.
Years ago, my buck Herr Hase started to venture into the house, and behaved perfectly. So he became my free roam house bunny. looked lonely though, so I got one of his daughters, Dotty, spayed as his cuddlebun. Now, after I had to have Herr Hase PTS last year my new buck shares my house with Dotty and me. Well, yeah, now I'm 50, and share my home with two rabbits, and noone else. I LOVE dogs, but I don't have the time or emotional resources to own one. Rabbits live their own lives if given the chance to do so, to them I'm just a sidekick that brings food, treats and occasional pets.
I bought a house in a small valley 7 years ago, and I'm primarily known here as the Rabbit Guy
